An Afternoon in the Life of Tendou Kasumi
by Rosethorn Li
Summary: -Five first person drabbles- 1: Kasumi goes out shopping and runs into a friend of little Ranma's. 2. Kasumi and the morning ritual.
1. Neighborhood

**An Afternoon in the Life of Tendou Kasumi (1/5)  
**Kasumi goes out shopping and runs into a friend of little Ranma's.  
**By: Rosethorn Li**

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Oh my. I never thought to see the day rice would be this inexpensive. A barrel would be enough to feed Saotome-san for a week, with enough money left over for extra sukiyaki and a large helping of fish in tomorrow's breakfast.

"I'll take a barrel of rice, and these, Saitou-san." Saitou-san bags the vegetables, hands me an order form, and is kind enough to wave the fee for delivering the rice. I would have Saotome-san or Ranma-kun pick it up for me, but they are both so clumsy, they would drop it. Silly boys.

I hand back the form and thank Saitou-san with a bow. He smiles and waves it off, thanking me; such a nice man.

"Shampoo" a boy cries to my right, hugging a telephone pole. Oh, it's little Ranma's friend Mouse.

"Good afternoon," I greet him politely.

He blinks at me and adjusts his glasses, releasing the telephone pole. "Shampoo?" He sounds so hopeful; I hate to disappoint him.

Gently I say, "No, Mouse-kun."

"Ah, Akane's Older Sister, how are you this day?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Mouse-kun. Are you looking for Shampoo-chan?" He nods and babbles a little. I haven't seen Shampoo-chan since dinner yesterday, when she kindly brought Ranma-kun some food. Shampoo-chan is so energetic, bicycling around all the time, and she and Ranma-kun are such good friends.

Mouse-kun runs off, shouting "Shampoooooooooooooo!" at my news.

Such an odd young man, but so polite. Ranma-kun could learn a little from him.

A shop window catches my eye: fresh fish, but low prices? That shop has a good reputation… I'll get something for tomorrow morning.

(And Kasumi sets her priorities straight once again.)

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Word Count: 278


	2. Family

**An Afternoon in the Life of Tendo Kasumi (2/5)  
**Kasumi and the morning ritual.

**By: Rosethorn Li**

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2. Family

(The Next Day)

I do wonder why Ranma-kun and Uncle Saotome insist upon doing such odd exercises every morning. I would think it would get a bit repetitive. But they come to the table so happily I never say a thing, though I do make sure to give them extra helpings of vegetables; it would be such a shame if either of them were to catch a cold.

Father asks for more rice, and I refill his bowl. He has a Council meeting later in the day; I'll make sure to iron his suit.

The fish has gone over quite well, and I am so very glad. Everyone's plates are picked clean when I collect them. Father's dishes I take out first, along with the rice cooker, and carry them easily into the kitchen.

Akane-chan is chiding Ranma-kun about something when I start the water. Uncle Saotome and Father are discussing a matter that turns their joy to laughter, and I use my hand to check the temperature just as Father lets out a particularly loud burst. I hear Nabiki-chan interfere in Akane-chan and Ranma-kun's conversation with a well placed comment, and as I add the soap I cannot help but laugh.

What a lively family I have.

The sink is half full, bubbles frothing merrily against the sides, bumping into each other and popping. It is deep enough now to add the dishes.

I turn off the faucet and pick up the dish cloth, soaking it in the soapy water. Akane-chan enters the kitchen behind me, an unpleasant frown on her face, carrying three sets of dishes in a precarious way. She sets them on the counter beside me, and I am concerned.

"What's the matter, Akane-chan?" I ask, turning away from the sink.

She arranges the dishes absently, stacking them together a little too roughly; I lay a light hand on her arm and she stops. Akane-chan will not meet my eyes. Oh dear.

"It's Ranma," she finally says, pouting at the table.

"Has Ranma-kun done something?" I can not think anything that has happened recently enough to upset my dear sister so.

She shakes her head roughly, mussing her hair badly, so that the short strands are crisscrossed and bunched. I hesitate to fix them, knowing how upset she is. I do not want to make her irritation grow.

"No! Well, yes, but!" Her hands ball into fists and I move my hand to her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"What is the matter, Akane-chan?" I ask gently, my concern growing. Ranma-kun stimulates Akane-chan's emotions so very much that I do not think she handle it all, certainly not added to the events happening in her delicate age.

Perhaps I should talk to Nabiki-chan before she leaves for school, just to make sure everything is alright.

"It's just Ranma! That-that-" I am afraid she will burst into tears.

Instead, my little sister glows with an aura of anger. I can feel the heat against my skin, a sensation similar to standing close to an open fire, if one were right next to the blaze.

"Would you like to help me with the dishes?"

Her control snaps and I feel the anger dissipate; she blinks at me. Little Akane is so very cute. "Ah, sure, onee-san," is her answer. I smile and hand her the dish cloth.

She has school in an hour, I know. However it is quite close, perhaps fifteen minutes, if one is enjoying the day.

Akane-chan plunges her hands straight into the water; I am not quick enough to stop her. "Hot!" she shouts, blowing on her hands. I immediately direct her to run them under cold water, and remove a few handfuls of ice from the freezer into a hand towel in quick succession.

The skin is not the enflamed, but I empty the cloth-full of ice over her hands anyway. She hisses, and I apologize, knowing it is necessary. A few moments more and she is all right, exiting the kitchen to answer Ranma-kun's frantic call.

I do believe he heard her cry out. How thoughtful, to make sure she is well.

Little Ranma is learning.

I decide to allow the dishes an extra while to soak, and unwrap the bento I made yesterday. With the aid of chopsticks, I move food to the side, to make room for more. Not leftovers, precisely, but a snack I'd make for Father and his associates. A way of apologizing, and something I believe they have earned.

I do hope they enjoy their meal.

I retie the cloth around the bento and stack them again. Nabiki-chan enters just as I finish, bag over her shoulder, and asks me which one is hers. I hand her the top one, which I had not added to, and wish her a good day.

She smiles and says the same, telling me not the 'get into trouble or anything'. I laugh politely; little Nabiki is just so silly sometimes.

Oh! I forgot to ask her how school is going. I must talk with her when she gets home.

Bursting with energy, Akane-chan comes in again; I am glad to see her hands are a healthy hue, no discoloration at all. There is no sign of any sort of burn or bruise. She grabs both bento, hers and Ranma-kun's, and dashes out the door with a 'see you later' thrown over her shoulder.

I smile, happy to see her back to normal.

The dishes take no time at all, and I make sure to use the plastic gloves. Father is sitting on the patio, admiring the koi pond, when I step back into the living room; I need to wipe down the table.

I notice a pleasant breeze in the room-- from above. Looking up, the morning sun shines down on my face. What a nice blue the sky is.

Once the table is clean and the cushions are straightened, I enter the front hallway and pick up the phone. I push the speed dial number four. "Yes, hello, " I say when they pick up. "This is the Tendou residence…Yes, could you please send a crew over this afternoon? Of course, thank you…"

(Because Kasumi is the responsible one.)

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**Word Count**: 1042

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End file.
